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  Method and apparatus for encoding multiview videoUSPTO Application #: 20070041443Title: Method and apparatus for encoding multiview video Abstract: A method and an apparatus for encoding a multiview video using a minimum amount of information regarding the multiview video are provided. The method includes: categorizing a plurality of B frames into at least two groups according to a predetermined standard; and sequentially encoding the categorized B frames. Therefore, a multiview video which is realistic can be simultaneously provided to many people using a minimum amount of information regarding the multiview video. (end of abstract) Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC - Washington, DC, US Inventors: Tae-hyeun Ha, Pil-ho Yu USPTO Applicaton #: 20070041443 - Class: 375240150 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Pulse Or Digital Communications, Bandwidth Reduction Or Expansion, Television Or Motion Video Signal, Predictive, Bidirectional The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070041443. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application 60/709,811, filed on Aug. 22, 2005 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0105728, filed on Nov. 5, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to encoding a multiview video sequence, and more particularly, to encoding a multiview video photographed by a multiview camera using a minimum amount of information regarding the multiview video. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Realism is an important factor in realizing high-quality information and telecommunication services. This realism can be achieved with video communication based on three-dimensional (3D) images. 3D imaging systems have many potential applications in education, entertainment, medical surgery, videoconferencing, and the like. To provide many viewers with more vivid and accurate information of a remote scene, three or more cameras are placed at slightly different viewpoints to produce a multiview sequence. [0006] Reflecting the current interest in 3D images, a number of research groups have developed 3D-image processing and display systems. In Europe, research on 3DTV has been initiated through several projects such as DISTIMA, the objective of which is to develop a system for capturing, coding, transmitting and displaying digital stereoscopic image sequences. These projects have led to another project, PANORAMA, with the goal of enhancing visual information in 3D telepresence communication. The projects have also led to another project, ATTEST, in which various technologies for 3D-content acquisition, 3D-compression & transmission, and 3D-display systems were researched. In the ATTEST project, motion picture experts group 2 (MPEG-2) and digital video broadcasting (DVB) standards were applied to transmit 3D contents using temporal scalability. To achieve temporal scalability, a base layer is used for the transmission of 2D contents and an advanced layer is used for the transmission of 3D contents. [0007] The MPEG-2 standard was amended in 1996 to define a multiview profile (MVP). The MVP defines the usage of a temporal scalability mode for multi-camera sequences and acquisition camera parameters in an MPEG-2 syntax. [0008] A base-layer stream which represents a multiview video signal can be encoded at a reduced frame rate, and an enhancement-layer stream, which can be used to insert additional frames in between, can be defined to allow reproduction at a full frame rate when both streams are available. A very efficient way to encode the enhancement layer is to determine the optimal method of performing motion-compensated estimation on each macroblock in an enhancement layer frame based on either a base layer frame or a recently reconstructed enhancement layer frame. [0009] The process of stereo and multiview channel encoding such a multiview video signal using temporal scalability syntax is straightforward. For this purpose, a frame from a particular camera view (usually a left-eye frame) is defined as the base layer, and a frame from the other camera view is defined as the enhancement layer. The base layer represents a simultaneous monoscopic sequence. For the enhancement layer, although disparity-compensated estimation may fail in occluded regions, it is still possible to maintain the quality of a reconstructed image using motion-compensated estimation within the same channel. Since the MPEG-2 MVP was mainly defined for stereo sequences, it does not support multiview sequences and is inherently difficult to extend to multiview sequences. [0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional encoder and decoder of the MPEG-2 MVP. The scalability provided by the MPEG-2 is used to simultaneously decode images having different resolutions or formats with an image-processing device. Among scalabilities supported by MPEG-2, temporal scalability is used to improve visual quality by increasing a frame rate. The MVP is applied to stereo sequences in consideration of temporal scalability. [0011] The encoder and decoder illustrated in FIG. 1 are a stereo video encoder and decoder with temporal scalability. Left images in a stereo video are input to a base view encoder, and right images are input to a temporal auxiliary view encoder. [0012] The temporal auxiliary view encoder provides temporal scalability, and is an interlayer encoder interleaving images between images of the base layer. [0013] When the left image is separately encoded and decoded, a two-dimensional (2D) video can be obtained. When the left image and the right image are simultaneously encoded and decoded, a stereoscopic video can be obtained. To transmit or store a video, a system multiplexer and a system demultiplexer are needed to combine or separate sequences of the two images. [0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional stereo-video encoder and decoder using the MPEG-2 MVP. [0015] An image of the base layer is encoded through motion compensation and discrete cosine transform (DCT). The encoded image is decoded in a reverse process. A temporal auxiliary view encoder functions as a temporal interlayer encoder which performs prediction based on the decoded image of the base layer. [0016] In other words, disparity compensated estimation may be performed twice, or disparity estimation and motion compensated estimation may each be performed once. Like an encoder and decoder of a base layer, the temporal auxiliary view encoder includes a disparity and motion compensated DCT encoder and decoder. [0017] Further, a disparity compensated encoding process requires a disparity estimator and a compensator as a motion estimation/compensation encoding process requires a motion estimator and compensator. In addition to block-based motion/disparity estimation and compensation, the encoding process includes performing DCT on a difference between an estimated image and an original image, quantization of DCT coefficients, and variable length encoding. On the other hand, a decoding process includes variable length decoding, inverse quantization and inverse DCT. [0018] MPEG-2 encoding is a very effective compression method because bi-directional motion estimation is performed for bi-directionally motion-compensated pictures (B pictures). Since the MPEG-2 encoding provides highly effective temporal scalability, B pictures can be used to encode a right image sequence. Consequently, a highly compressed right sequence can be generated. [0019] FIG. 3 illustrates disparity-based predictive encoding in which disparity estimation is used twice for bi-directional motion estimation. [0020] A left image is encoded using a non-scalable MPEG-2 encoder, and a right image is encoded using a MPEG-2 temporal auxiliary view encoder based on the decoded left image. [0021] In other words, a right image is predicted using two reference images, e.g., two left images, and encoded into a B picture. In this case, one of the two reference images is an isochronal left image to be simultaneously displayed with the right image, and the other is a left image that follows the isochronal left image. [0022] Like the motion estimation/compensation, the two predictions have three prediction modes: a forward mode, a backward mode and an interpolated mode. The forward mode denotes disparity estimation based on the isochional left image, and the backward mode denotes disparity estimation based on the left image that immediately follows the isochronal left image. In this case, a right image is predicted using disparity vectors of the two left images. Such an estimation method is called predictive encoding, considering only disparity vectors. Therefore, an encoder estimates two disparity vectors for each frame of a right image, and a decoder decodes the right image from the left image using the two disparity vectors. [0023] FIG. 4 illustrates predictive encoding using a disparity vector and a motion vector for the bi-directional estimation. In the predictive encoding illustrated in FIG. 4, B pictures obtained through the bi-directional estimation of FIG. 3 are used. However, disparity estimation and motion estimation are each used once in the bi-directional estimation. That is, the disparity estimation using an isochronal left image and the motion estimation using a previous right image are used. Continue reading... Full patent description for Method and apparatus for encoding multiview video Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and apparatus for encoding multiview video patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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